An Indian wedding turned to horror yesterday when the bride was shot dead as she said her vows by a cousin who believed she had ‘cheated’ on him. Dr Jaishri Namdeo, 29, was standing with her husband-to-be on a stage, in the city of Bhopal, when Anurag Singh allegedly stormed up the aisle and shot her at point blank range. Anurag, who had entered the wedding disguised as a photographer, then attempted to shoot himself but missed and grazed a nearby guest, allowing witnesses to tackle him to the ground.
They then disarmed the shooter and beat him violently until police arrived. Dr Namdeo, a paediatrician, died later in hospital from a single wound to the neck. Her husband, Rohit Namdeo, a surgeon, survived the attack. Following his arrest, Anurag told officers that Dr Namdeo had ‘cheated him’. It remains unclear exactly what he meant but detectives are probing a possible relationship between the two.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that they may have studied together in the past. Hundreds of guests – including her parents – who had attended the wedding, held in the city’s Lalghati area, descended on the hospital, desperately awaiting news of their relative. But their hope turned to grief as news of her death spread. Now, an investigation to determine exactly why Anurag carried out the attack has been launched. He remains in police custody.
Imagine the assailant was her cousin and he had to disguise because if they had spotted him earlier, they would have sensed trouble. May God save us from evil people.